St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-01-08

Last evening was taking care of my
little ncphews. Harry and Jack. while
their papa and mamma went to con-
cert. l was by the table sewing and they
were on the floor playing with the dog
and making pictures of their sliced an
imals. All at once Jack spoke to me
so suddenly that l jumped: Say.
auntie. did you ever see . cowboy?
told him Yes" and that down in
New Hampshire we had great many.
"A real. live cowboy! Oh! Anntie, tell
us about one.' And Harry's eyes grew
large. Jack took his usual seat in my
lap and Harry stood on the back rounds
of my chair and amused himself by pull
ing my scOlding locks.
began: "Well. boys, when / was .
Little girl knew a nice little cowboy.
He had brown. curly hair and pretty
blue eyes
'.Like me?" interrupted Jack.
''Yes," l answered, new / come to
think Of it he looked very much rs you
do. But his name was John and he
used to wear ragged straw hat and
go barefOOted when he was . cowboy.
He drove three red cows to pasture
and"
''Oh! that isn't the kind of cowboy we.
mean." broke in Harry. I'VE want
one like this" and he opened book of
Western adventure and pointed to q
picture of man who was all revolvers
and fierce black mustachc.
told my nephews that / had never
seen a cowboy like that; mine were all
happy little rOgues not in their teens.
who whistlcd Yankee Doodle" played
stick-knife. went to school and struggled
with long division.
Jack and Harry were disappointed.
and were glad to have the door open
and see Uncle John come in. He was
the giver of the cowboy book, and after
they had laughingly and with great
scOrn told OF ..Auntie's cowboy" he
took small nephew on each knee and
kept them awake long after their bed
time with such stories rs would have
frightened me had l not guessed by the
twinkle of Uncle Johns eyes that they
came from some corner of his brain
and were made out of whole cloth. j"
But after Harry and Jack were safely
tucked in bed and as braided my hair
for the night thought of the children's
disappointment at my kind of cowboy,
then it came to me that once had the
privilege (?) of seeing . real cowboy
and | am not ashamed to say that at
first sight l felt none of the bravery
that Jack does when he reads of them.
1 suppose he would say: ''Cause YOU re
a woman, Auntie. All women are 'fraid
but we men never are"
This is the way it was: About two
years ago, ], with party of friends
was on the way to California. The train
was within a few miles of the Indian
Territory whose inhabitants were then
and are now in an unciviliZed condition.
l heard two men a little way in front Of
me talking. One said: Things are in
a ruther wild way down in H Just
now. aint they?" and the other replied:
.'Wall, l dunno. they might be wuss.
The other day thar were about twenty
of the fellars in my store an they got
to talking about politics an when folks
talk politics they are might apt to be
personal.
"Wall-some 'er the fellars got lit
tie mad. an before l knew it they had
out their pistols an was pivOting them
at each other. But they got over it,
an I've seen things Just as bad in Lam
ton, whar first settled. an now thar
are four stores an three church-houscs.
But l come from down East an we've
ruther quiet lot, down thar"
But before these men finished talking
the car door opened and in walked q
man-tall and broad shOuldered, but
just intoxicated enough to feel "taIkee.
talkee. Mclean man." To his suit of
blue flannel was added yellow leather
belt in which was stuck sharp. danger
ous looking knife and q large revolver.
Under the broad -brimmed hat was q
good enough featured face: but instead
of the black hair and mustache of the
traditional wild Westerner. 1 saw hair
of . fiery shade and full side whiskers.
The man in front whispered to the
other: That's . pretty sassy-lOokin'
fellar." YES" said the store-keeper
from H, '.he's one Of the fellars as
told you took the pistols out in my
store the other day."
So l looked at this specimen OF cow
boy with interest. but l was frightened
when he jumped up. took out that re-
volver and carelessly twirled it around
his head. The ladies we're frightened
and one Of them screamed while q
Methodist minister anxiously asked the
people in general: ':l0 y loadeda"